IHS expects Porsche to sell 63,000 Macans in 2014 debut

IHS Automotive is expecting Porsche to achieve its goal of topping its annual vehicle sales of 200,000 units up to four years ahead of schedule. IHS is even forecasting that Porsche could become more profitable after becoming part the Volkswagen Group, analysts predict. The key element for the forecasts is the expected rollout of Porsche’s Macan compact premium SUV in 2014.

Tim Urquart, senior analyst at IHS Automotive, remarked that they expect Porsche to sell around 63,000 Macans in 2014 and the compact premium SUV becoming the carmaker’s best-selling model. Porsche plans to unveil the Macan at the Los Angeles auto show in November and start building the model in December 2013.

Porsche sold 143,096 cars in 2012, a figure that could top 200,000 units once the forecasted Macan volume is reached. Porsche has said it aims to achieve 200,000 in annual sales by 2018 – the carmaker’s contribution to parent VW Group's Strategy 2018 plan.

VW Group is aiming to post combined global sales of 10 million vehicles by 2018. Bernhard Maier, Porsche’s sales and marketing chief, remarked to Automotive News Europe that IHS's first-year sales forecast for the Macan is too high. He noted that they will not offer “that many” Macans in 2014 since Porsche will still be ramping up production and introducing models top down."

This indicates that Porsche will start offering first range-topping Macans first, with the lower priced ones offered later. The Macan is expected to the larger Cayenne SUV as the brand's best-selling unit. The Cayenne accounted for around half of Porsche's global sales in 2012.

According to media reports, the Macan will likely have a starting price of EUR45,000 in Germany, making it Porsche's lowest-priced offering. The carmaker’s current lowest price offering is the Boxster two-seat sports car, which carry a base tag of EUR49,243. The Cayenne has a starting price of EUR59,358 in Germany.